Boat retrieving device



July 23, 1963 J. w. HOLZMAN BOAT RETRIEVING DEVICE Filed Dec. 19, 1960 MM mm mm mo flc 5% M% A JV. B

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,098,462 BOAT RETViNG DEVICE James W. Holzman, Muhlenhnrg Park, Pa, msignor to Dana Corporation, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Virginia Filed Dec. 19, 196i), er. No. 76,583 3 Claims. (Cl. 114-221) This invention reiates to improvements in retrieving devices in general and more particularly to a device for effecting the engagement of a line or winch cable with an inaccessible attaching means such as the bow eye of a boat when being moored or loaded on a trailer.

The act of preparing a boat for loading onto a trailer or for mooring presents an objectionable condition, in the absence of an operable retrieving device, since someone must walk precariously down a cat-walk or wade into water in order to attach the trailer winch cable hook to the bow eye of the boat.

Prior art devices which attempt to overcome this objectionable condition generally comprise a closed hook having a winch cable or mooring line secured thereto and further are provided with a tapered socket which is frictionally held on an end of a pole. The opeartor can hold the pole in his hand and reach out with it to engage the hook in the bow eye of the boat and then withdraw the pole from the book. The efficiency of this type of device is very limited as the frictional engagement is such that either the hook rotates freely relative to the pole making engagement with the bow eye difficult, or the hook and the pole become separated.

An objection to these prior art devices is that the hook is held rigidly with respect to the longitudinal axis of the pole and is not pivotable relative thereto. Having the hook rigidly secured to the pole and the bow eye fixedly positioned on a movable boat presents a problem which makes it very awkward and sometimes almost impossible to engage the hook with the bow eye.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a retrieving device which is adjustable so as to facilitate the engagement thereof with aninaccessible attaching means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a retrieving device wherein the hook means thereof is pivotable therein so as to facilitate engaging the hook means with the bow eye of a boat.

A further object of this invention is to provide a retrieving device wherein the hook means is pivotally positioned and which hook means is further merely frictionaliy engaged within the device whereby said hook means may be easily engaged and disengaged.

A still further object of this invention is to provide such a. device which is simple in construction and may be manufactured at a relatively low cost.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pneferred embodiment of this invention with the hook means and winch cable shown in place, and also phantom lines showing the hook in some of its optional positions;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partially in section, showing the relationship of the parts; and

FIG. 3 is an end view of the present invention with the hook and cable omitted.

Referring now to the drawings, the retrieving device shown generally at '10 is comprised of a body portion 12 having formed integrally therewith a receiving means indicated generally at 14. More specifically the receiving means may be formed as a socket means 16. The socket means 16 and body member 12 may also be made from separate parts and fixedly interconnected. As seen in 3,h98,462 Patented July 23, 1963 FIG. 3 the socket means 16 has a generally elliptical shape and defines a transversely elongated axially extending opening :18 having a major axis X and a minor axis Y. The major axis X is proportioned to conform to and frictionally engage the outer diameter 20 of the eye portion 22 of a hook 24 for allowing a limited pivotal movement thereof within the socket'means 16. The minor axis Y, which is slightly larger than the thickness of eye 22, is prepared to limit rotative movement and pivotal movement in a direction other than the X axis of the hook 24 relative to socket 16 while it is contained therein by engaging the sides 26 and 28 of the eye 22'.

A pair of axially aligned and diametrically opposed slots 30 and 32 are disposed in the substantially fiat surfaces 34 and 36 of the socket means 16, providing the socket means with a first and a second jaw 38 and 40. These slots originate at the outer opening of socket means 16 and extend axially along the retrieving device 10 for a distance sufiicient to allow the socket means 16 to be resiliently deformed thereby elongating its major axis X. This elongation resiliently spreads apart the jaws 38 and 40 thereby allowing the eye 22 of the hook 24 to be inserted therein while still retaining the required resilient spring tension for the jaws 38 and 40 of socket means 16 to firmly grip and frictionally engage the eye portion 22. While a single slot may operate satisfactorily, two slots are preferred to provide proper resiliency and a symmetrical balance of forces. It will be noted that the eye 22 of the hook 24 can be manually slipped into engagement or disengagement with the socket 16.

A connecting line 42 is suitably secured to the eye 22 of hook 24. The line 42 extends from the eye 22 out of the socket 16 through either one of the diametrically opposed slots 36 or 32. The connecting line is further attached to a mooring means (not shown) or to the winch of a boat trailer (not shown) for loading purposes. Since the line 42 extends through a slot in the socket 16 it will not interfere with (the disengagement or engagement of the eye 22 of hook 24 when the eye is removed or inserted into the socket.

This retrieving device 10 has been developed to aid an operator to connect a winch or mooring line to an attaching means on a boat or the like. To accomplish this the operator inserts the eye portion 22 of the hook 24, to which the line 42 is attached, into socket 16; hook 24, being in uniplanar pivotal engagement with the retrieving device 10, may be pivoted to the angle relative to the longitudinal axis thereof most convenient to the operator for completing the connection. With this much of the operation completed the operator will easily be able to connect hook 24 to the attaching means such as a bow eye of the boat (not shown). With the device 10 thus engaged to the bow eye, the boat may be maneuvered thereby. The final step of the opeartion to be performed, that being the disengagement of the hook 24 from the retrieving device 10, is accomplished by a slight jerk or a sudden pulling motion on the pole or body member 12 in a direction toward the opeartor. The hook 24 will be left in direct engagement with the bow eye of the boat and disengaged from the socket means 16.

From the foregoing it is apparent that a retrieving device has been described which because of its adjustable nature is easily engaged to an inaccessible attaching means such as the bow eye of a boat or the like, which device includes a hook easily detached or attached thereto and which is simple and inexpensive to construct. The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, but changes and modifications can be made, and it is understood that this showing and descrip tion is illustrative only and not for the purpose of rendering the invention as limited to the details illustrated or described except insofar as they are limited by the terms of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A retrieving device for effecting the engagement of a line with an inaccessible attaching means comprising in combination, a body member, a socket means disposed at one end of said body member, said socket means defining an axially extending opening having a major and a minor axis in cross-section and being provided With an axial slot whereby it may resiliently deform, a hook means having a portion thereof substantially conforming to said major and minor axes, said line being attached to said hook means, said conforming portion of said hook means being received Within said socket means and adapted for uniplanar pivotal movement relative thereto, and said socket means being resiliently deformed by said hook means whereby said hook means is frictionaxlly engaged by said socket means and adapted for disengagement therefrom.

2. A retrieving device for eifecting the engagement of a line with an inaccessible attaching means comprising in combination, a body member, a socket means disposed at one end of said body member, said socket means defining an axially extending opening having a major and a minor axis in cross-section and being provided with a pair of diametrically opposed axial slots whereby said socket is provided with a first and a second jaw and said socket means may be resiliently deformed allowing said jaws to move relative to each other, a hook means having an eye portion thereon substantially conforming to said elongated opening, said eye portion positioned within said jaws deforming said socket means and frictionally engaged thereby, said eye portion being adapted for uniplanar pivotal movement relative to and slipping removal from said socket means and said line being attached to said eye portion and extending from said socket means through one of said slots therein.

3. A retrieving device comprising in combination an elongated body member, a socket means integral with said body member, said socket means defining a substantially elliptical axially extending opening, said opening having a major and a minor axis, a hook having an eye pivotally received in said opening, said major axis conforming to a portion of the diameter of said eye for allowing pivotal movement of said hook relative to said body member, said minor axis being slightly greater than the thickness of said eye portion for limiting relative movement therebetween other than pivotal movement in the direction of the major axis, said socket means also being provided with axially extending slot means whereby said socket means is deformed by and resiliently engages said hook for pivotal adjustment, and a connecting means secured to said hook and extending through said slot means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,199,690 Gillan Sept. 26, 1916 1,281,336 Frazier Oct. 15, 1918 1,852,629 Sturges Apr. 5, 1932 2,979,013 Whittall Apr. 11, 1961 

1. A RETRIEVING DEVICE FOR EFFECTING THE ENGAGEMENT OF A LINE WITH AN INACCESSIBLE ATTACHING MEANS COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A BODY MEMBER, A SOCKET MEANS DISPOSED AT ONE END OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID SOCKET MEANS DEFINING AN AXIALLY EXTENDING OPENING HAVING A MAJOR AND A MINOR AXIS IN CROSS-SECTION AND BEING PROVIDED WITH AN AXIAL SLOT WHEREBY IT MAY RESILIENTLY DEFORM, A HOOK MEANS HAVING A PORTION THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY CONFORMING TO SAID MAJOR AND MINOR AXES, SAID LINE BEING ATTACHED TO SAID HOOK MEANS, SAID CONFORMING PORTION OF SAID HOOK MEANS BEING RECEIVED WITHIN SAID SOCKET MEANS AND ADAPTED FOR 